Dance with Me
by happyYAPPIE
Summary: Look at that poor young man, planted on that same old bus stop, with nowhere to go and nothing to do, left with only his regrets, and that poor young woman, nothing to even call her own... Who knows? Maybe they can fix each other.
1. Useless

((Hey guys! Yappie here with my first story! :D This takes place in an AU where the GGs were never formed, so they're forced to meet in other ways. This story, however, focuses on Gum and Tab, and how they meet. This was initially a collab with Kaitie moodysshuffle: . . Enjoy!))

Tab's P.O.V.

"This sucks."

I let out an exhausted groan as I rested my head against the back of the grimy bus stop bench, shoving my hands into my pockets to avoid accidentally touching anymore old chewed-up gum stuck to the bottom of the bench. The deafening sound of the streets of Tokyo rang in my ears, but I simply tuned it out. When you live here for as long as I have, you get pretty used to it. In fact, you kinda grow to like it. It starts sounding like a lullaby, the hustle of everyone in the city unintentionally forming a choir of industrial instruments. Or something like that.

It was the middle of July, a little over a million degrees, the sort of heat that makes you sweat profusely without doing a thing, the kinda temperature that makes you regret having thick shoulder-length hair. The kind that makes you think about all the other clothes you could've put on besides a thin coat, thick pants, wooly beanie, and some weird t-shirt with a logo from some band no one really knows about. Sitting on a bench, waiting for something to happen gave me time to think about all the regrets I had for the day. Part of me wanted to shed the black jacket providing half of this profuse heat, but it matched with my hair, and it gave me that aura of wanting to be left alone.

I lay down on my back as immense crowds of people rushed past me, little kids rushing to school, adults in boring suits trudging off to their lame jobs, a few teenagers- probably skipping class- gossiping to each other as they walked by…

And then there was me, Gentaro Kousaku, lazily shifting on the wooden bench in the center of it all, trying hard to ignore the fact that I had nowhere to go and nothing to do. Every once in a while, I'd get a puzzled side-glance from some well-groomed businessman, probably wondering what this scruffy-looking loser was doing in oddly warm clothes on a bench in the middle of July, but I've learned to just brush that kinda thing off.

I couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy prick at my conscious like a rose's thorn, though. These people around me at least had their lives together, at least they had things to do, people to see, lives to lead- among a crowd of people who had the pieces of their lives put together, I was the obvious exception. A combination of this realization and the sweltering heat made me finally decide to relocate my position.

Shibuya-cho was always busy, cars going by, people shopping, walking around, construction being done, et cetera. It was probably the busiest part of Tokyo-to, sprawling with all sorts of different people. The best place to see them all was Hidamari Square, in the heart of the district. People of all types gathered there, for reasons only they knew. As the sun beat down on me, I walked down the streets, trying to find my way to the square, so I could finally stop wasting time while I'm out. After a few turns and odd looks, I walked into an expanse of paved, brick walkways, a sea of people, and loud music playing from every direction.

"WOO-HOO!" "OH, YEAH, MAN, LOOK AT THAT GUY GO!" "YOU'RE KILLIN' IT, MAN!"

The unmistakable piercing sound of shouting and cheering rang through the polluted air, drawing my focus towards a crowd off to the side of the wide circle. I turned my droopy head towards them, fixing my amber eyes onto a small crowd forming in a corner, when the blissful sound of an acoustic guitar and some drums quickly caught my attention. A small grin crept onto my face as the beautiful sight of a few guys- almost as shaggy-looking as me- began to dance to the beat of the sweet music. Just watching it gave me a jolt of adrenaline.

Street performers- one of the few advantages of living in such a big city- never failed to bring a genuine smile to my face. Things've been mighty tough these days in Tokyo, what with the over-bearing government trying to strip us of every last right we got and this new Rokkaku guy rising to the scene, all just to make everything a bit harder for average people like us to just live. Things have gotten so tight that we can hardly express ourselves anymore without runnin' into some sorta trouble with the law. These street performers, though- these guys didn't care about the corrupt government or the law or any Rokkaku weirdo. They just wanted to dance, to express themselves with their bodies and their sound, something that was getting harder and harder to do these days, but they just didn't care. They wanted to be free, and they were. They set out and were doing things most people were too afraid to even think about.

I soon felt myself longing to cross through the crowd and dance with them, like something was magnetizing my soul towards them, but I stood back and merely observed from a distance. I knew if I tried to even come close to their talent, I'd be laughed out of the city. I look more like an elephant trying to tango when I dance- not exactly something I'd want to flaunt to everyone at Hidamari. After a few moments I came to the devastating realization that I'd never really be one of them, and settled with remaining an onlooker, entranced by the rhythm and fluent motion of their bodies, and after a good ten minutes or so, I found myself rhythmically tapping my fingers and nodding my head to the laid-back beat.

It wasn't long before a crowd so thick you could hardly see past it had surrounded the dancers, and I heaved a sigh of frustration once they completely vanished behind the great crowd, and I realized that if I wanted to watch any longer I'd have to push past every single person in that forsaken crowd. After a moment's hesitation, I finally gathered up the courage to rip myself from my standstill, and managed to weave through the couples and phone-talkers blocking up the way, but when I got up to the mass of people, I realized just what kind of number was gathered. These guys musta had some serious talent to draw in this many onlookers. As I reluctantly began to push my way through the immense, sweaty crowd, something caught my eye that caused me to halt dead in my tracks.

"Hey look, I-I dunno 'bout this..." said an absolutely gorgeous young woman, sitting on the cracked gravel with her legs crossed. I took a tiny step back as I basked in her beauty, my muscles freezing into place. She sported an odd, scanty, cream-colored dress, adorned with striped-green sleeves, that stopped several inches above her knees; tufts of scruffy blonde hair reached down just past her shoulders; some white gloves with an insignia above the wrist completed the image. Over the live music, I could just hear her talk to her black-haired friend about something or other. Between the pounding of the drums, the whooping of the crowd, and the rhythmic stomping of the dancers, it was hard to make out any individual noises.

I slowly sunk back into the crowd, twiddling with my fingers and biting my lip nervously. Dear Lord, was she cute. Her outfit was kinda funky, though- never seen anyone wear something like that out in public. Good to know I wasn't the only one dumb enough to wear long sleeves in the middle of this sweltering July, though. I mulled over the possibility of her being one of the street preformers, which was odd, to say the least. She just didn't have the... ENERGY exerted by these guys, that care-free aura and spirited vigor that defined them. Seriously, that weird girl nearly crumpled on the ground with her arms crossed across her chest and the worrisome expression sewn onto her face... No way she was one of these guys.

"Hey now, c'mon, blondie, time to show us what'cha made of!" The sound of a young man's vigorous shouting drowned out the music and the dancers' romping and carried out through the formidable crowd, followed by the screeching sound of who I could only assume was the gorgeous girl I had seen only moments ago.

"B-but I can't!" the girl yelped, her voice trembling with either worry or anger, it was kinda hard to tell. I laboriously pushed my way past a few particularly tall teens, and I flinched sympathetically as a pitiful sight met my eyes.

"C'mon, girl, you can't chicken out on us at the last second like that!" A shaggy-looking man with black hair- presumably the one who she was nervously chatting with previously- was tugging at her scrawny arm and practically dragging her to the center of the scene whilst she desperately wriggled in his grasp, sneering and muttering foul obscenities as she vainly attempted to escape.

"I-I don't care!" she pouted, and her body relaxed all at once as soon as the strange man released her from his hold. "You can't make me do this..."

The kickin' music paused abruptly and the dancers skidded to a dead halt (much to my dismay), each staring at her as though she had suddenly vanished and became a ghost. Their audience began to mumble and whisper, each directing their judgmental glares at the blonde girl practically throwing a fit in the middle of a performance. I merely hunched over and slunk back a step or two, nearly knocking down a fellow onlooker, but I hardly noticed. Every iota of my attention was focused on the troublesome scene unfolding before my eyes.

She stood glowering at everyone, her fists clenched and her legs steeled, but the fact she was tearing up gave away her defiant pose. I merely hunched over and slunk back a step or two, nearly knocking down a fellow onlooker, but I hardly noticed. Every iota of my attention was focused on the scene unfolding before my eyes. "C'mon, Gum, you're just gettin' a case of stage fright, that's all!" The man bargained with her, but she simply sighed, and sat down. "Not today," she sneered. Vicious boos from the crowd started being thrown at her, and I couldn't help but notice her long, lean legs become noticeably wobbly, and a fire of some sort welled up inside me. No way these guys were gonna keep pesterin' this poor kid, huh? Awful mean, if ya ask me, pushin' this cute girl around like she was at their beck and call… Or could they? Something inside of me wanted to save that poor girl from this awful situation, and get her away from all these insults and the pestering, to be like… Kinda like her knight in shining armor, except… Somethin' less lame than that. 'Course, I could never do somethin' like that… Hah, like anyone would ever take me seriously if I pulled a stunt like that…

Or would they?

My mind flashed between my two options: I could save the girl, or be the idiot who stood there and did nothin', as usual. Wouldn't be any different from the last 16 years of my life.

Hmm, maybe I could be the hero, for once. 


	2. Fight or Flight

((Heyo! Yappie here with chapter 2 of this fic :D hopefully I'll be able to post chapter 3 soon too B^]))

Gum's P.O.V.

I couldn't help but flinch as I felt their judgemental stares delve through my body, scorching my soul as their boos and displeased shouting echoed and filled the polluted street air; their shouts and screams sliced my eardrums like knives. I could practically feel my pulse in my teeth, and I swallowed the forming lump in my throat. Wh-what was with me?! I seriously couldn't dance, no matter how hard I tried to make myself move, even an inch. My body was frozen solid, and I could do nothing but stand there like an idiot, my heart thumping against my ribcage, threatening to explode.

I nearly doubled back in shock. This really wasn't like me. It just wasn't. I'm not exactly one to shy away due to a "case of stage fright", alright? I'm not a shy person! If I wanna do something, then I don't don't give up until it's done, alright? Stage fright isn't exactly an issue with me. But... That was the thing, I guess. It wasn't stage fright.  
Street performing was illegal.

Hmph, sounds weird, huh? Street dancing bein' illegal and all. I mean, it ain't exactly a dangerous activity. No one gets hurt, anyway. It's just dancing, y'know? It's all Rokkaku and his "no fun allowed" policy's fault, truth be told. Jerk couldn't stand to see average kids like me who posed no "major importance" to society makin' money that could go straight to his fat piggy bank. What a pill, huh? Yep, this was the genius that was suffocating our city. And we're the bad guys.

But my heart practically dropped into my stomach at the thought of being arrested. This is my first performance, so I figured I'd get off easy if anything happened to me. That's what I kept telling myself everytime I got a case of nerves about my debut. I knew it in my head, but I was still managing to bomb my first performance. I tried to speak, but the words got stuck in my throat, and I angrily kicked at a stray soda can as the music finally came to a swift halt.

It was too late. I bombed everything.

And they were gonna kick me out of the group, my only source of income. Before I even got any income from it.

It was over.

The intense shouts of the crowd abruptly pulled me back to the harsh reality. "S-sorry... I guess I ain't feelin' it today, heheh." I let out a false chuckle in a vain attempt to save my rep and not make myself out to be a total idiot, hiding the fact that I was mortified by the thought of being arrested, but as the frustrated crowd slowly began to thin out- much to my relief- I realized the cool-girl act wasn't foolin' no one.

"Aww, man, you're killin' our vibe, girl!" Mikoto, the "leader" of our little group, scolded, followed by a chorus of grunts from the rest of the group and a small wave of shouts coming from what was left of the pitiful-looking group. Only about 20 people or so left.

"Yeah, well, maybe I just wasn't feelin' it, ever think of that?" I sneered under my breath, childishly pouting and hoping they'd buy my crappy excuse. A wave of embarassment overcame me as I looked to the rest of the group, who were packing their instruments. Already on to the next location, I guess. And I totally blew my debut. "I-I'll be better next time, alright?" I promised pleadingly, desperately hoping that they'd give me another shot.

"NEXT TIME?!" Mikoto snorted, rolling his eyes scornfully as he packed his own things. "What makes you think there's gonna BE a next time? You flopped out there, girl."

My heart practically stopped beating in my chest. "Look, I-I'm sorry, but-"

"But what?" he sneered, and I could muster nothing but a low growl of frustration. I knew I messed up out there, alright? Rubbin' it in my face ain't gonna help. I couldn't lose this, though. This group was all I had. It was my only source of income, and I couldn't let it get away from me. Sure, it made dancing feel kinda like a chore... But it was my only choice.

"H-hey, leave her alone..."

The soft sound of a young man's voice cut through the tension of the situation, and I averted my gaze to the sight of some weird kid with long brunette hair staring straight in my direction. I gotta say, he was a pretty strange lookin' kid. He practically looked like he'd been dragged through a muddy field, with smudges of dirt dotted along whatever skin he'd left exposed, and his shoulder-length hair was knotted into a complete rat's nest, and... What kinda person wears a jacket in the middle of July? Jeez, he looked like something dragged out from the sewer, and by the expression on his face he looked like he'd just seen a ghost, almost as though he couldn't even believe he was standing up for this sorry girl.

Hakune, one of our lead musicians, couldn't help but burst into little spurts of laughter. "Hahaha! Are you kiddin' me?! Where'd this kid come from, the dumpster?!" The strange little weirdo's limbs froze solid into place, and he obviously regretted his previous defiant actions. His mouth gaped open, as though to speak, but he could muster nothing but an anxious whimper. Hah, this little wimp actually tried to stand up for me? I'd be a bit more gracious towards him if he weren't making me look like a huge fumbling moron who can't even fight my own fights. That is, if I hadn't already made myself look the fool. At least he was distracting Mikoto and the others for me. My mind was racing- I had to get outta there. Save my rep. Maybe another group would take me in if they didn't know me as the newbie who screwed up her first preformance.

Mikoto merely shook his head and let out a low grunt, gesturing away from the crowd, which was growing by the moment as interest in the problematic scene unfolding escalated. "Listen up, kiddo, I don't know which dump you crawled outta, but don't come tellin' me how to run MY show, mm-kay? Y'know, unless you think you can do better." A chorus of displeased clamour arose from the other street dancers behind me, and my cheeks turned bright red with embarassment. Do these losers seriously think they can fight my fights for me? Yeah, right. Like I was gonna let that happen. Was this really the best time to throw my dog back into the fight...? Maybe I really should just make a run for it, while no one's looking...

Oh, who am I kidding? I can get outta here some other time. This was just too good to miss.

"Look, I ain't tryna pick a fight or anything, alright?" the dissheveled kid assured the intimidating man towering over him. "I'm just, uhh, tryna clear up some unnecessary conflict here, that's all..." He sheepishly averted his gaze and locked his amber eyes with mine. I still didn't get it... Why was he still trying to save my hide? To him, I was just some freak, some goofy delinquent kid with no money and no morals. Then again, now that I think of it, he probably thought the same way about himself. Hey, maybe that was why he was saving my sorry self. Sympathy. Did he know what it was like to be the weird outcast kid? He sure looked like it...

Hey, who am I kidding? This ain't no time to get soft! I don't need some street creep to run to my rescue- I need to show them what kinda girl Gum really is, and if I couldn't do that with my dancing, I at least needed to show them that I these jerks can't push me around. Or at least... I wanted to, with all my heart. The words caught in my throat once again, and for the second time I was the fumbling moron stuttering, unable to even form a proper sentence.

"This ain't a fight that needs fixin'," Mikoto hissed, "so back outta here before we have a real problem."

The strange kid abruptly spoke up, his shaky voice slicing through the air like daggers. "Hey, listen up, both of you, this ain't what dancing's about, alright? Dancin's about bein' free. Sayin' what you wanna say with your body, not your words." He paused for a moment once he realized the crowd was growing as he gave his defiant speech, but he took a deep breath and went on. "L-look, I may not look like I know much. I mean, I know probably wonderin' who this freaky stranger is, tellin' you how to run your show. But I do know that this isn't that dancing is all about. So what, she bombed out there? Doesn't mean you get to push her around just 'cause she made one dumb little mistake..." He shot me a reassuring glance that seemed to say 'It's ok, I got this, you don't have to worry.'

But I was worried. And confused. And a little frustrated. Any and all feelings of gratefulness I should've had were replaced by exasperation and embarassment, and I realized what I'd just done- not only did I completely flop during my first performance, I couldn't even own up to it. I could hardly even process what I'd done. I'm not used to people standing up for me, not without wanting something in return, at least. I couldn't help myself. My emotions, whatever they were, were boiling over. I absent-mindedly edged closer and closer to this stranger, who was trying so hard to do something nice for me, and- I don't know. I couldn't control myself. I stretched out arm and- I couldn't believe it- I roughly shoved him in the shoulder with a grunt. "What's your game, kid?" I sneered. That really got the crowd going, if anything.

He just stared at me, and I knew his mind must have been racing. I couldn't blame him, and I could hardly believe myself, but I've never been one to let others stand up for me. People just don't get it... It sounds weird, like I'm being ungrateful, but it's like... I have to show people that I can do things myself. I'm my own person, and I don't do well when people interfere with that. Hakune and the others behind me started cheering me on, as though they'd forgotten their previous feelings of dismay towards my huge mistake, and they could only focus on the fight before them. Even Mikoto was nodding his head at me in approval at this point.

"What's the deal?" the brunette, who'd I'd only just noticed was a bit shorter than me, snapped in response, offended by my harshness and lack of gratitude. "Y'know, most people would say 'thank you' for saving their sorry hide from being tanned."

"OOOOOOOHHH, SNAP! Whatcha gonna do, girl?!" someone in the crowd screamed, accompanied by a choir of "oohs" and other exclaimations of disbelief.

I couldn't belive my ears. "All this from some street urchin who probably can't even dance..." More whoops of approval on my side. Thank God. I needed a win today.

"I wouldn't act so high-and-mighty there, if I were you. I'm not the one who flopped in front of all of Hidamari. Oh, and by the way," he paused as a mischiveious grin crept across his face, "I've been a dancer since I was seven. So do your worst, hon."

"Prove it," I hissed, my strange-as-ever emotions boiling over more and more by the second.  
The little brat back away a few steps, and I could I was chipping away at his confidence boost. "Wh-whaddaya mean?" he stuttered. "Why should I have to prove it...?"

I grinned. "You're scared, aren't you?"

"N-no, of course n-"

"Yes you aaarrreee! Heh, scaredy-cat."

"That's not fair! I-"

"Well then PROVE IT!"

"B-but-"

"Don't make me say it again."

He started shifting uncomfortably in his spot. I almost felt a bit bad. Almost. But not quite. He made me look bad in front of Mikoto- well, worse than I'd already made myself look. But still, I wasn't going down without a fight.

His lips trembled slightly as he spoke. "F-fine then... If it's a dance-off you want, the it's a dance-off you'll get."

My heart was thumping against my ribcage, and adrenaline rushed through my veins to the point I felt woozy. A dance-off. Me, him, in the middle of one of the most populated areas of Tokyo. That was trouble just waiting to happen. Someone was going to call the police, I almost knew it.

But I couldn't step down, not this time. I had to prove myself, to Mikoto, to this nerd, and maybe even to myself.

I'm don't want to be afraid anymore.

Katsuya Nakano is not a coward. 


End file.
